Russia's Khabarovsk territory could boost gold output a third by 2020
KHABAROVSK. Nov 24 (Interfax) - Russia's Khabarovsk territory could boost gold production a third by 2020 to 20 tonnes, Vasily Shikhalev, the territory's natural resources minister, said at a meeting of the territory's government.
"The implementation of the Khabarovsk territory's mining industry development program will ensure progressive growth in gold production to 17.6 tonnes in 2015 and 20 tonnes in 2020. Returns for the territory's budget will increase to 3.8 billion rubles per year," Shikhalev said.
The territory might produce 15 tonnes of gold in 2011, he said.
"To increase production, it is necessary above all to finish building the Amursk hydrometallurgical plant and bring this, together with the Albazino mine, up to design capacity in 2013," he said.
Also, the issue of supplying the Mnogovershinnoye and Khakandzhe recovery plants needs to be resolved as they only have enough reserves to last until 2016.
Mining and recovery plants will also be built at the Belaya Gora and Perevalnoye fields.
The Khabarovsk territory is due next year to approve a program for the development and use of its resource base in the period 2013-2015. Exploration will focus on the Svetloye field in the Okhotsk district, Durmin in the Lazo district and Kutyn in the Turguro-Chumikansk district.
The Khabarovsk territory plans to put 11 other deposits and sections up for auction in three years.
The Khabarovsk territory is still one of Russia's top-five gold- and platinum-mining regions, Shikhalev said.
